At least 20 people died after a luxury sleeper bus caught fire after it hit a two-wheeler in Andhra Pradesh's Kurnool early on Friday. The bus, travelling from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, had 43 people on board.

When the bus hit the two-wheeler, the bike got stuck in the undercarriage of the bus, causing a spark, the police suspect.

This is not the first time sleeper buses have caught fire in India in recent months and years.

Sleeper buses originated in Western countries, initially used by entertainers traveling between cities. Over time, they became common for general passenger transport. However, repeated accidents prompted most countries to phase out such buses.

Experts note that while sleeper buses provide comfort for lying down, the limited space makes movement extremely difficult. In case of accidents, passengers often get trapped and cannot escape.

A 2018 survey conducted by the Union Ministry of Road Transport across 15 states revealed that 25 per cent of drivers admitted to dozing off while driving. Global studies also show a higher likelihood of drivers falling asleep on highways, especially between midnight and 6am.

Experts emphasise that the first two minutes of response during an accident can determine life or death. Passengers who are seated or awake have a higher chance of escape compared to those lying down, especially on upper berths where escape becomes extremely difficult.

Such buses have repeatedly emerged as moving death traps. China banned sleeper buses 13 years ago, citing multiple deadly accidents.

Except for India and Pakistan, no other country operates as many sleeper buses. Experts have repeatedly written to the Union Ministry of Road Transport, urging a ban on sleeper buses to prevent further loss of life.

Here are some of the major bus fire incidents from the last few years:

Jaisalmer: Jammed door traps passengers in fire

A moving AC sleeper bus carrying passengers on the Jaisalmer-Jodhpur highway in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan caught fire on 15 October, killing 20 people on board and injuring 15 others.

More than a dozen passengers suffered burns, with most reportedly suffering up to 70 per cent burns. A probe reportedly revealed that the passengers did try to escape, but couldn't because the door was stuck.

Delhi-bound AC sleeper bus catches fire in Lucknow

On 15 May, a private sleeper bus traveling from Bihar to Delhi caught fire on the Kisaan Path in Lucknow, resulting in five deaths, including two children. The bus was in motion, and the fire is suspected to have started due to a short circuit. Many passengers were asleep when the fire broke out.

12 killed in bus-taxi collision in Rajasthan

On 19 October, 12 people were killed when a sleeper bus collided with a tempo in Rajasthan’s Dholpur district. The accident took place around 11pm near Sunipur when the bus was en route to Jaipur from Dholpur.

Among the victims were three women, the tempo driver, and several children.

Puri-Kolkata bus rams into truck; two die, many injured

Two persons from West Bengal were killed and 15 others sustained critical injuries after a tourist bus going from Puri to Kolkata rammed into the back of a cement-laden truck on NH-16 at Kadia chowk in Jajpur district of Odisha on 8 June, 2024.

Police suspected the driver might have dozed off at the wheel due to which the bus dashed into the back of the truck around 5.30am.

There’s more…

In Maharashtra, on 1 July, 2023, another bus caught fire after hitting a divider on Samruddhi Highway, killing 25 people.

In November 2023, a sleeper bus traveling from Jaipur to Delhi caught fire near Gurugram, leaving two people dead and more than a dozen injured.

In October 2022, a sleeper bus travelling from Yavatmal to Mumbai collided with a trailer, resulting in a fire that killed 12 passengers.